First Impressions
by WritingKeepsMeSane
Summary: Beth and Daryl don't exactly make the best first impression when they meet. Bethyl, AU No Zombies (More detailed summary inside.)
1. Chapter 1

**First Impressions**

**So here is my first Walking Dead fic! It's AU and I hope you guys like it. I do have one or two OCs in this fic but I feel like it's needed for this story. I wondered what it would be like if Daryl had a younger sister and then just a whole bunch of other thoughts flooded through and now I have this story! Don't worry, for those of you who read The Founder's Children, I'll be updating soon. And now, on with the show.**

**Beth Greene is a midwife at the Atlanta Medical Center. Daryl Dixon is a tattoo artist for the TNT Tattoo Shop. The only thing they have in common is Beth's roommate and Daryl's sister Harley. When Harley introduces Beth and Daryl, sparks fly but not the romantic kind. Daryl thinks she's a stuck up princess and Beth thinks Daryl is an arrogant asshole. Can these two see past their first impressions and see what's really underneath? Or will first impressions leave a lasting one?**

**I do not own the Walking Dead.**

Beth sighed and pushed a few strands of hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear, it had been a long day and she was ready to go home. There had only been two births at the hospital but the last one had been extremely stressful. The woman had trouble giving birth and Beth worried the whole time about her. In the end though she and the baby were just fine. Beth always felt a wave of emotions when she saw the new mom hold her baby for the first time, knowing that was one of the main reasons for being a midwife. There were times when Beth felt like all the schooling and effort she put into becoming a midwife was for nothing but seeing the joy and happiness on a woman's face as well as a man's face as they hold their new child was priceless.

Walking up to her station Beth smiled at one of the elderly nurses, Patricia, who she loved to work with. Beth had only recently begun working at the Atlanta Medical Center but she felt like it was where she belonged. There were a ton of truly friendly people and the patients were wonderful. It also helped that the job paid well.

"Miss. Beth you look like you're ready for the end of the day." Patricia smiled. Beth nodded as she sat down, it was almost time for her shift to be over and she was grateful.

"I am, I love this job but that last delivery was so stressful. Not just for me but for everyone." Patricia nodded sympathetically. She had taken a liking to Beth, she was so sweet and reminded her of her granddaughter.

"Well sweetie, I think Tara just arrived so if you want to leave a couple minutes early I won't say a thing." Patricia winked.

After assuring it was okay, Beth gathered her things and made her way back to her apartment. The moment she stepped into the decent two bedroom apartment, Beth could hear _Avenged Sevenfold_ bursting through one of the doors and smell the faint scent of cigarettes. She knew that Harley must've had a bad day. Sighing Beth set her things down on the kitchen counter and went into her own room to change out of her scrubs. Feeling better once she was in a pair of cut off shorts and a tank top, Beth padded across the hall to Harley's room. Knocking on the door, Beth waited for it to open. The girl who opened it was the opposite of Beth.

Harley had waist long dark brown hair that was currently piled on top of her head in a bun that was held in place by a pencil, her deep blue eyes were slightly hidden by her oversized black-rimmed glasses that she used for reading and when she was drawing and also held a tinge of annoyance, and her skin was a rich tan color due to spending time out in the woods with one of her older brothers. Harley wore cut offs like Beth only hers were slightly shorter and showed off the tattoo on her left thigh. The shirt she wore covered her collarbone tattoo and most of her half sleeve tattoo that she had on her right arm. Harley only had one tattoo on her left arm and a couple more on her back. Beth never asked what all of Harley's tattoos meant, she knew what some did and that they had a connection to her past.

"Yes?" Harley tilted her head, her bangs falling into her eyes. Beth laughed, glad that Harley was in the mood to talk at least.

"I take it things were stressful at the shop?" Beth took a shot in the dark, it was often that Harley would shut herself off to Beth for no reason or she would have a bad day but even after five years of living together it was hard to tell sometimes.

Harley nodded and sighed, lifting her glasses up to the top of her head as she did. She walked out of her room and went towards the small kitchen they had. Beth waited patiently, knowing that Harley would talk when she was ready.

"This asshole came into the shop and specifically asked for Dale. Well Dale wasn't there, it's his day off so I tried to be nice about it and tell the guy I can book him another appointment for a day that Dale is there but the dude won't take shit!" Harley took a pop out of the fridge and opened it. "I'm trying my best to be patient and then he starts ranting about how he booked an appointment with Dale months in advance, that I must've gotten the date wrong, and that I need to be a better secretary. I looked at him and told that asshole I was nobody's damn secretary, that our actual secretary must've fucked up and if he wants a tattoo so bad then he'll come back when Dale or someone else is there cause I ain't dealing with his ass!"

Beth couldn't help but let out a laugh. Guys who often came into the tattoo shop Harley worked at often thought she was a secretary or one of the tattoo artist's girlfriends. It irked Harley to no end and there had been times when she had slapped a few of the men, especially the ones who got handsy.

"I'm surprised that you didn't hit him." Beth started to get things out to make dinner, it was her night for cooking and Harley's night for washing things up. Beth brought out some vegetables and started chopping them, figuring a simple soup would be nice.

"I was tempted to, believe me but Dale asked if I could keep the violence down this month." Harley smirked. Her phone went off and she looked at the text. "Daryl's coming over to drop some catalogs off that just came in."

"You know, I'm surprised that I've never met Daryl." Beth mentioned. Harley took a sip of pop before answering.

"My mom got pretty sick a couple months before we met and so Daryl offered to help my dad take care of her. She knew it was getting close to her time to go so she wanted to head back to Richmond where she grew up and had family, well other than me and Daryl." Harley explained. Beth remembered the few days Harley had left to go to her mom's funeral and how difficult it had been for her. "It was just the past couple months that Daryl and my dad moved back down to Georgia."

"Hey, before I forget Maggie's coming over." Beth was hesitant to mention. Harley and Maggie never got along too well, they were similar in personalities but Maggie was a lot more headstrong. Maggie also thought that Harley had a lot more potential than just being a tattoo artist and shouldn't cover herself in tattoos.

"Okay, I'll get out of y'all's hair when she comes over." Beth sighed, she hated that Harley always felt the need to disappear whenever Maggie was over.

There was a knock on the door, Harley went to answer it. Beth finished chopping the vegetables and set them off to the side. She took out a small pack of meat to cook. Soon the meat was browning and Beth lowered the heat, it would still take some time so Beth turned to see who was at the door.

Harley stood next to a man who was clearly related to her. The man had the same dark brown hair as hers, it covered his eyes which Beth noted was the same deep blue. He was a lot more tan than Harley, which surprised the young blonde. Beth couldn't help but notice how toned and lean he was, wearing a cut off shirt that showed his tattooed arm muscles and ripped jeans. He had the same scowl as Harley, she shared the same facial expressions but her eyes were a slightly different shape. Beth was a lot smaller than him, Beth guessed his height at about six foot two while Harley was only five foot four and Beth five foot two.

"Blondie, I want you to meet Daryl!" Harley laughed, Beth rolled her eyes and huffed. She hated when her roommate called her that.

"I have told you multiple times not to call me that." Harley stuck her tongue out, seemingly in a better mood than earlier.

"And I've yet to listen. Daryl meet Beth, Beth meet Daryl." Harley said as she thumbed through the catalogs Daryl must've given her.

Beth smiles and holds out her hand. "It's nice to meet you Daryl, Harley speaks very highly of you."

Daryl grunts and looks away from Beth, not taking her hand. Feeling the slight sting of rejection Beth narrows her eyes but walks back to the kitchen to finish dinner. She could feel a pair of eyes on her but chose to ignore them.

"Dinner's almost done, should I get two bowls out or are we having a guest?" Beth chose to ignore Daryl for the time being and directed her question towards Harley. Harley briefly looked up from the catalog, her glasses back on. Honestly Beth didn't know why she didn't wear them all the time.

"Well big bro, you staying or going?" Harley asked, Daryl shook his head and Harley sighed.

Beth only got two bowls out from the dishwasher, she would wait until Daryl was gone to actually serve dinner. So that they weren't being rude and eating in front of him. She felt like Daryl didn't want to be here and for some reason Beth almost felt like he didn't like her.

"Do you go into the shop tomorrow?" Beth asked. It had been awhile since she had hung out with Harley so she was hoping to at least spend some time with her.

"For a little bit, why?"

"It's been a while since we've hung out so I thought we could go shopping or something." Harley let out a playful groan.

"Okay but we'll be going to a few of my choice stores." Beth briefly wondered why Daryl was still standing in her living room. "Do you want to hang out at the shop until I'm done? I only have one appointment and it shouldn't last long."

Beth thought about it for a moment but decided against it. "No that's okay, we can figure something out."

Daryl let out a snort. Beth looked over at him, her eyes questioning. "What, is something the matter?"

"You think you're too good for the shop, is that it?" Beth narrowed her eyes, cocking her hip and placing a hand on it.

"Excuse me? I don't know who you think you are but that is the farthest thing from the truth." Beth looked over at Harley, her head was down and Beth knew she was probably thinking of the last time the young blonde had been over to the shop.

"Ha, I'm sure it is princess." Daryl smirked at Beth, she glared at the man. She admitted that he was handsome but he was also a jackass.

"Daryl, you said you weren't staying to eat so I think it would be a good idea if you left now." Harley spoke quietly. Daryl looked at Harley, surprised but seemed to understand when he looked at her.

The two walked towards the door, speaking in hushed tones. Beth ignored them for the most part, instead she fixed the two bowls of soup and then set one on the counter. She got a text from Maggie just as she heard the door slam. Looking up she saw Harley looking a bit agitated as she sat on one of the bar stools, grabbing the bowl of soup and digging in. It was quiet for a while, Beth replied to Maggie and the two ate.

"Sorry about Daryl, I forget sometimes that he's less of a people person than me." Harley spoke as she moved the spoon around the empty bowl. "He can be an asshat but don't worry, it's nothing towards you."

"You don't have to apologize Harley." Beth finished her dinner and put the dishes in the sink. "If that's how he wants to be, then fine. Maggie should be here soon, I'd just thought I'd let you know."

Harley nodded and grabbed the pop she had been drinking earlier, then headed towards her room. A few seconds later _Pierce the Veil_ was drifting through the walls but not as aggressively as when Beth first arrived. Beth only recognized the bands and could tell the difference after being Harley's roommate for so long. Another knock came from the door and Beth went to let Maggie in. The two settled in for a movie night but Beth's thoughts kept drifting back to Daryl and his rough exterior. He infuriated her but at the same time fascinated her.

**Alright guys, that was the first chapter! I hope y'all enjoyed it and I would love feedback. It would be great to hear what y'all think of the story so far. More to come soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**First Impressions**

**The reviews I got made me so happy! I worked on this chapter a lot and I really hope you like it. I would've had it up sooner but I had class and also suffer from chronic migraines which can really be a bummer when trying to write. Anyways on with the next chapter!**

**I do not own the Walking Dead.**

Beth woke up early after her night in with Maggie despite not setting an alarm. She groaned, knowing that now that she was up her mind would not let her go back to sleep. Reluctantly getting out of bed, Beth stretched and headed towards the bathroom. After getting a shower and getting dressed in a simple forest green t-shirt and jean shorts Beth went to make a cup of coffee. There was a post-it note stuck to the coffee pot. In Harley's quick loopy handwriting, the note explained how she had been called in early to the shop and she would text Beth around lunch to see what the plans were about rides. Beth looked at the time and realized it was only around eight in the morning. Looking around Beth decided that it would be good to get some cleaning done.

After getting some laundry done and put the dishes from last night up, Beth settled down on the couch to catch up on some of her reading. She had recently started on an apocalyptic series but with her schedule it was hard sometimes to balance. There were four books in the series and Beth was only on the second book. Quickly loosing herself in the book, Beth was able to make great progress in her reading by the time Harley sent her a text. Harley was still at the shop, she had one more client that was coming in and Daryl had picked her up that morning. Reluctantly Beth replied that she would meet her over at the shop in fifteen minutes.

Beth sighed and got up from the couch. She placed her book back on the shelf, slipped her shoes on, and then grabbed her purse. With the door locked the young blonde made her way down to the parking lot and to her car. It was an older VW Bug that Beth had bought with money she saved up. Harley liked to tease Beth about her car but it was reliable and got Beth where she needed to go. Soon Beth pulled up to the tattoo shop where Harley worked, TNT Tattoos. It was actually a well-known and popular tattoo shop. The location was perfect and the outside of the shop was well decorated without being over the top.

"Welcome to TNT, we'll blow you're top off with our fucking awesome tatts!" Harley smirked as she rounded the corner. Beth laughed as she entered the shop. She had been nervous stepping into the shop but seeing her best friend helped.

"Hey Harley, how's things going?" Beth looked around the shop. The walls were lined with tattoos that people had gotten done at the shop plus some artwork that Harley had done.

"Pretty good. Martinez bailed today so that's why Dale called me in." Harley noticed how Beth was looking around the shop.

Beth let out a sigh she didn't realize she had been holding in. A couple months' back Beth had been hanging out at the shop on her day off and Harley had gone to pick up lunch for them, Beth wasn't paying any mind when suddenly Martinez had pushed her against one of the walls and started groping her. Martinez had just started at the shop and had been eyeing both Harley and Beth like pieces of meat. Harley had managed to intimidate the guy after she scared a client for harassing her so he had yet to try anything with her around but as soon as Harley left, Martinez took his chance. Beth tried to fight him off but he was much stronger, it was only by chance that Harley had come back to the shop and threw Martinez back on his ass.

"I still don't understand why Dale keeps him around." Beth picked at a string on her shirt. She knew it wasn't her place to say it but still couldn't help but voice her opinion. Harley shrugged.

"Well if it isn't the princess." Beth looked up and saw Daryl, remembering last night Beth's eyes narrowed.

"Well if it isn't the jackass." Beth wasn't one to curse but when it came to Daryl, she felt like it was needed. Harley let out a snort of laughter, there were only a few times she heard her best friend curse and most of them were when she was drunk off her ass. If Harley knew that Daryl and Beth meeting would cause her this much amusement she would have set it up years ago.

"Thought this place was too good for you." Daryl went over to the counter and looked through the appointment book. Beth rolled her eyes at his comment.

"Oh shut up bro!" Harley said as she flicked his ear. "You need to be nice to Beth. Especially since I'm tattooing someone and Beth is waiting for me here to get finished."

"Then what you standing around here for?" Daryl asked gruffly. "Get your ass back and finish tattooing."

Harley flipped Daryl off as she walked down the hall and into the room she used for tattooing. Soon the sound of her tattoo gun was all that could be heard. Beth looked around the shop, it had been a while since she last visited the shop. There was a counter, which was actually a glass display case that held some of the piercings the shop had to offer, that held their register and Amy usually sat behind. Off to the side was a small hall that led to five other rooms where the tattoo artists and the piercer did their work. Beth liked how simple it was decorated, in the main room there were couches and places to sit while you looked at the books to decide what you wanted.

"So princess, what do you do for a living?" Daryl asked. His next appointment wasn't for another hour so he thought he might as well amuse his sister's wishes and play nice. Beth looked at him, surprised that the man even initiated a conversation.

"I'm a midwife at the Atlanta Medical Center." Beth answered. Daryl let out a small laugh, it was something he hadn't expected the blonde to say. Beth narrowed her eyes, wondering if Harley would get mad at her for slapping Daryl.

"Sorry, I just didn't expect that." Daryl hated it but he had to admit that Beth looked pretty cute when mad. When Harley first introduced Daryl to Beth he thought she was a preppy little girl who was probably a waitress at a coffee shop or some shit like that. It impressed him some that this girl was a nurse and not only that but delivered babies. He wouldn't tell her that though.

Beth chose to stay silent. It was only a few more minutes when Harley came back out with her client in tow. The person paid Harley and then the brunette turned to her best friend, she smiled brightly at Beth.

"Well I'm done for the day so let's go! There are some places I want to go before we hit up where you want to." Harley shouted as she grabbed her things from her room. She walked back out and Beth followed her to the door. "See ya later big bro!"

Beth vaguely heard a reply as the door closed behind them. Harley walked towards Beth's car and waited for her to unlock it. Once they were in it Harley immediately change the station as soon as Beth's car turned on. Beth scowled jokingly at her roommate, even after five years they still fought over what music to listen to in the car. Beth switched it from the alternative rock station Harley had it on to the CD she kept in the player just for this occasion, it had all their favorite songs on and would alternate between ones they both enjoyed.

"So are you off today or have a late shift? I forgot to ask." Harley looked over as she adjusted her glasses. She wore them more when she worked and figured it would be better to leave them on.

"I have a late shift, I won't be home until three." Beth let out a sigh. "I'm going to be working late for the rest of this week."

Harley winced and let out a small laugh. Beth tended to get grumpy when she worked late shifts because she never seemed to get enough sleep.

"Well I'll be sure to steer clear of you then."

Beth laughed and shoved Harley in her seat. Harley snorted and pretended to be hurt, pouting and fake crying. Soon Harley told Beth to pull over at the vintage clothing store that she loved to shop at. Once Beth was parked the two climbed out and headed inside. The store was one of Harley's favorites, it was small and always made her feel like she travelled back to a different era in time. There were bins of clothing placed around the store that were labelled with what decade they were from and usually how much they cost; posters hung from the walls as well as advertisements from the 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. There were records up against the wall and instead of the radio playing the record player was belting out old tunes or sometimes even current hits depending on what the store owner was in the mood for. Harley wandered over to the jewelry counter first, there always seemed to be new items that seemed to pop up and she loved seeing what she could find.

"Hey Harley." The store manager, T-dog, greeted her. Everyone who worked there was familiar with the young girl and her best friend.

"T-dog, what's up?" Harley smiled at the friendly man, it had been a while since she saw him.

"Not much right now, got some new clothing in the 50s era. If you look close enough you'll find some jewelry you may like too." T-dog smiled, he knew how much Harley liked this place so he always tried to point out the good stuff to her.

Harley nodded and looked back at the counter. Beth wandered over to the records to see if there were any she could get the young tattoo artist for her birthday next month. She noted a few records that Harley would like when Beth heard the person in thought gasp. The blonde turned around to see Harley holding a necklace. It seemed to be a locket; the front had an engraving of detailed compass and also had some words on the back, the chain was long and if Harley put it on Beth guessed it would hang to her sternum.

"You should get it." Beth said as she smiled softly at her best friend. "You go hunting with Daryl and Merle after all, it's perfect."

Harley hesitated. It wasn't like she was tight on money or anything, actually it was the opposite, and she was well off but up until Harley was ten and Daryl was sixteen they had learned to be happy with what they had. Beth saw the look on Harley's face and took her wallet out of her bag.

"How much is it T-dog?" Beth asked. Harley didn't look at Beth with too much surprise, they've done this before and Beth knew that the next morning the money would be on top of her desk in her room when she got back from her shift.

"That necklace is twenty dollars Beth." T-dog smiled, Beth quirked an eyebrow at the man. He often gave them discounts for things since Harley was a regular costumer.

Beth paid the amount and they left the store, Harley fastened the necklace around her neck. She promised herself that she wouldn't take it off, she also needed to find pictures to put in the locket as well.

"Thanks." Harley said quietly as they got into Beth's car. Beth just smiled, she knew that despite how tough Harley acted at times there was a sweet girl underneath.

They drove to the store Beth needed to go, spending the time listening to music. Harley suggested that afterwards they eat some early dinner and Beth agreed. Beth was slightly anxious about getting Harley to this store and when they pulled into the parking lot, her nerves weren't in vein.

"Elizabeth Anne Greene I knew you had a fucking alternative motive for taking me shopping!" Harley cursed as she saw the dress shop they pulled into.

Beth sighed, so much for the sweet girl underneath the tough exterior.

"I'm not going to really apologize Harley but you know that we need to get dresses!" Beth got out of the car and Harley reluctantly followed, silently cursing Beth. "Maggie and Glen's engagement party is this week and then we have their rehearsal dinner followed by their actually wedding then the reception. I don't have to worry about the wedding or the reception since I'm the maid of honor but I do have to worry about getting a dress for the rehearsal dinner and the engagement party. You on the other hand have to worry about all three."

"Why the hell do I have to worry about that!?" Harley asked, she stopped in her tracks. It was no secret that Harley and Maggie never got along, whenever those two were in the same room it was always full of tension.

"Because Harley Belle, despite Maggie not liking you there are other people who do and who would really appreciate it if you went!" Beth looked at Harley as she huffed out a sigh. "My daddy and my momma think the world of you, they think of you as they're daughter and treat you like family. Glen thinks of you as a little sister too and would hate to not see you on an incredibly important day of his life."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're extremely good at guilt tripping people?" Harley asked eyeing her. There was amusement in her eyes and Beth knew that she would be okay. "Alright, let's get this over with. Besides you've got to get something to eat and then get some rest in before you head to work."

Harley slung her arm over Beth's shoulder and the two walked into the dress shop. Harley ended up finding a blue skater dress with three quarter length sleeves that she felt would be great for the engagement party. It felt to her knees and it looked great on her. She hated covering up her tattoos but wanted to be good for Hershel and Annette. She also found two other dresses for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. Beth managed to find dresses she needed and thought that they were perfect. The two grabbed an early dinner at their favorite diner and Beth felt that overall it was a great time. She loved whenever she got to hang out with Harley, not only was Harley her roommate and best friend but Beth felt like the young tattoo artist was also another sister.

**Alright, there you have it! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also can I just say that I'm a little envious of all you guys who have such awesome banners for your stories? Cause I am. *lol* Sorry I just had to put that out there, I love looking at them whenever I get the chance. Anyways until next time. Reviews are always appreciated! **


	3. Chapter 3

**First Impressions**

**Every single time I see an email saying I got a review it makes me do a happy dance. Seriously, you guys are the best. So I thought that y'all would enjoy this chapter. Sorry it took so late to get up, I have two papers I'm writing for two different classes but that's life.**

**I do not own the Walking Dead.**

Daryl stifled a yawn as he unlocked the shop, he had a shitty night's sleep and on top of that woke up at the crack of dawn. The only good thing about the day so far was he got to open the shop instead of staying until the night manager, Tyreese, came to take over. Just as he opened the door Daryl saw out of the corner of his eye that Harley was walking down the street towards the shop. Her hair was in its usual bun, secured with a pen this time, and he laughed as she carried her largest tumbler mug.

"Hey sis, long night?" Daryl asked. Harley grumbled, it was noon but he could tell by her thrown together appearance that she probably woke up ten minutes ago. Unlike him and Merle, she was not a morning person but more of a night owl.

"I finished my painting for dad, I'm going over to see him next week and wanted it to be done when I gave it to him." Harley's voice still sounded rough from sleep. She often painted these amazing pieces of artwork for their dad who was happy to display them at his home, he was incredibly proud of her talent. He was the reason she went into tattooing, Daryl's reason as well. Both Dixon's looked up to their father, it was him and his wife who had took the two in when they were both young teens on the brink of starvation.

"Well let me know when you go and I'll tag along." Daryl said as he flipped on the shop's lights.

"Always do bro." Harley went over to the counter and turned the register on. As she went around the shop doing the daily start up things, she took sips of her coffee.

Daryl watched his sister move around the shop. In the years he had been gone she had changed some. Harley had more plaid over-shirts in her wardrobe, wore her glasses more, and drank coffee. They were little things but they were things that she never did before. To Daryl they didn't seem like his sister, they seemed like another person's quirks and Daryl had a feeling he knew just who was responsible.

"You always liked tea better." Daryl mentioned. Harley looked up from her sketchbook and Daryl saw her eyebrow quirk up, it was the only thing that gave anything away on her otherwise now emotionless face. Daryl now knew he needed to tread carefully. "You always said that coffee tasted like shit."

"That's because Merle always made shitty coffee." Harley smirked at her brother. Daryl had to agree, their older brother never knew how to make a good cup of coffee.

"What're you working on?" Daryl asked, it would be a while before Amy or any of their clients got their so even though Daryl liked the quiet he knew his sister liked to talk.

"I'm going to try and convince Beth to get a tattoo." Harley had that spark in her eyes that Daryl knew meant trouble.

"Good luck getting princess in here for a tattoo." Daryl chuckled. Harley shook her head in amusement.

The bell rung, which signaled a customer, and Daryl glanced over to see Amy coming into the shop. She waved cheerfully at the siblings and Daryl nodded back at her. Amy was nice enough but she could be way too happy for Daryl, it reminded him of a poodle sometimes. Harley started talking to Amy so Daryl slipped into the hallway where his workroom was. He had a few clients for the day, one that would take him a while to do.

Daryl had been at this for a while and it was something that he really liked doing. It was also something that he and his sister bonded over. They would talk about their favorite pieces or the weirdest tattoos people have wanted them to do. Daryl started to get his books out for the day, his first appointment was at noon and they didn't have a clue what they wanted.

"Daryl, can you get your ass in here!?" Harley yelled. Daryl rushed into the room, Harley and Amy stood behind the counter. They seemed fine, Amy seemed grossed out and Harley disgruntled but the only other thing different was the man in front of them.

"What, is everything okay?" Daryl was instantly weary of what was going on.

"This man wants a dick tattoo." Harley scowled, Daryl laughed at his sister. She was against going anywhere near guy's dicks or asses when doing tattoos.

"Just a small one!" The guy picked up the drawing and showed it to Daryl.

Daryl didn't say anything but pointed to one of the signs that hung in the shop. It said that the tattoo artists had a right to turn away customers if they were not cooperative. Usually Tyreese was the only one who really had to deal with people arguing but it wasn't unusual for them. The guy chuckled as he read the sign. Then he held out his hand, Daryl hesitantly shook it.

"Sorry, I was just messing with y'all. My name's Doug Baker and I'm a writer for Express Ink magazine. I called Dale about wanting to do an article about the shop and his best artists." Doug explained. "He was supposed to tell you ahead of time about it."

Dale had failed to mention this to any of his employees but Daryl didn't care. Daryl looked over at his sister he could tell how excited she was.

"Alright, let's take this over to the couches then." Daryl motioned over to the set of couches they had. Harley sat down next to Daryl while Doug sat across from them.

"So let's start with the basics, what are your names?" Doug got out his recorder and a notepad.

"Daryl and Harley Dixon." Harley answered with a smile. She was excited, they had been interviewed by smaller magazines before but never one as big and well known.

"How'd you guys get into tattoos?" Doug asked, he knew a little about the siblings in front of him. He liked to do some research before going on assignments.

"Our dad was a tattoo artist and when we were younger we'd hang out in his shop after school." Daryl explained. It was one of his favorite memories as a kid, walking home from school with Harley and then heading straight for their pop's tattoo palace. He was still in contact with most of his dad's old employees. "He'd let me and Harley hang out with the employees while we did our school work."

"What did your mom do for work?" Doug asked curiously.

"She owned a bookstore in town, it was small but it did really well." Harley answered. Even though it had been a while since her mom's death, Harley still felt the pain of losing her.

"Nice, now when did you each get your first tattoo?" Doug asked.

"I got mine when I was fourteen, one of the employees at dad's shop did it for me without telling him. The only reason Pop was mad was because he wanted to be the one to give me my first tattoo." Daryl smiled as he told the story.

"Mine was when I was fifteen, I actually let our dad be the first to give me my tattoo. That didn't stop me from drawing all over myself every chance I got. Daryl always tried to scare me by telling me I'd get ink poisoning." Harley laughed and stuck her tongue out at her brother.

It went on like this for the next hour and a half, Doug asked the siblings questions about their tattoo styles and what their favorite tattoos they've done. Harley and Daryl enjoyed talking about something that they were so passionate about. They both thought that Doug was a great person to talk to about this since he seemed to know what he was talking about. Doug asked how it felt to be siblings in the tattoo world and if they ever got compared to one another, Harley and Daryl shook their heads at that question. The interview had been a surprise that day but also something that they looked forward to seeing printed. Daryl looked over at his sister and saw the brightness in her eyes, it was something he loved seeing and never wanted it to go out.

**Yay, you guys got to see inside Daryl's head a little! I hope you guys liked it and I'm really sorry it took so long to put up. I promise more to come and as always reviews are appreciated. See you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**First Impressions**

**I hate that it's been so long since I've updated but life gets in the way sadly. In any case, here is another chapter! I hope you love it!**

**I don't own the Walking Dead, if I did there would be so much more Bethyl. **

Beth tapped her fingers on the table nervously, she couldn't help but check her phone for the third time in the past five minutes. The young blonde hadn't heard from her roommate in two days and while that was normal for Harley to disappear the tattoo artist would typically let Beth know ahead of time when to expect something like this.

"Just call her brother." Maggie rolled her eyes at her younger sister. "There's still plenty of time until the party, she's probably just trying to avoid all the awkward small talk you'll put her through."

"You know that's not true." Beth glared at her older sister. "Besides I don't know Daryl's number."

Maggie sighed, she loved her sister but couldn't understand why Beth was so reluctant to get Daryl's number. Especially with Harley's tendency to disappear. Really Maggie couldn't understand Beth's friendship with the girl at all.

"Just go down to his work Bethy, but make sure you're not late for the party." Maggie picked up her purse and left her sister's apartment. Beth rolled her eyes, she knew that Maggie was nervous about the party and wedding in general and that made her more of a bitch than usual.

Sighing Beth slipped on some flats and headed down to her car, she knew that realistically she could just call the shop but Beth was determined to find Harley. Plus Beth had to admit that even though most of her interactions with Daryl Dixon weren't friendly she was attracted to the handsome man. Soon she was pulling up to the shop, she spotted Daryl's motorcycle well Harley had borrowed it on occasion stating that they shared it but it was a sign that he was there at least.

"Hey Beth!" Amy smiled widely at Beth as she entered the shop, the young blonde smiled back and walked up to the counter.

"Is Daryl around?" Beth asked. Amy looked at Beth, surprised that she was asking for the closed off man.

"Yeah, he just finished up with a costumer so he should be cleaning up." Amy pointed to where Daryl's room was down the hall. "Shawn and I are going to be a little late, he's picking me up from here so I have to swing home and change."

Harley and Beth had introduced Shawn to Amy after the two girls had known each other for a while. They thought that Beth's brother and Harley's coworker/friend would be a great pair so Beth talked Shawn into meeting Harley at the shop for a tattoo he'd been thinking about and Harley happened to be talking to Amy at the same time Shawn came to talk to Harley. The two were married the next year.

"Does Maggie know?" Beth smirked as Amy shook her head and winked at her sister in law.

"Hell naw, she'd have my head!" The two laughed and Beth made her way down the hall to the room where Daryl's name was drawn on a white board in bold letters. There was a dragon and a tiger drawn on it as well and Beth could tell the dragon was Harley's work so the tiger must've been Daryl's. She was struck by how detailed and beautiful it was. Beth knocked on the door.

"Come in." Daryl said from the other side of the door. Beth walked in, the walls were a simple white and filled with pictures of tattoos, places around the world and various pictures of Daryl with Harley mostly but every now and then their older brother Merle.

"Hi Daryl." Beth said as she tried to not sound slightly irritated. Daryl looked up from setting some things up, surprised to see Beth at the shop. "I haven't heard from Harley in about two days, I know that it's pretty normal for her to disappear for a while but typically she lets me know beforehand. Today's also Maggie and Glenn's engagement party, Harley promised Glenn that she'd be there."

Daryl sighed, he hated when Harley did shit like this. She pulled the exact bullshit that Merle did. Although she was much more responsible about it than Merle and she didn't really do anything except go off to places by herself. It still worried him.

"I'll find her and have Harley at the party right on time." Daryl looked at Beth, he could see the worry in her eyes and was surprised how she truly seemed to care for his sister.

"Thank you, I've gotten used to her going off by herself but it still worries me." Beth explained, Beth looked around the room her eyes asking if it was okay. Daryl didn't seem to mind. "I'd normally let her come home on her own but Glenn and my parents were really looking forward to seeing her."

Daryl nodded, he was also used to his sister going off and him not knowing where she was. She'd turn off her phone or not take it wherever it was she went. He was grateful that he knew his sister all too well to know where she would go. Daryl watched Beth as she looked at one of Daryl's favorite picture, it was right before he left to help his pa take care of his ma. Harley took the picture, her face contorted in a silly way while he had a smirk. Merle was there too, a drunk smile on his face. The three siblings looked relatively happy. If you ignored how Merle seemed to be off to the side, not really close to the other two, and the slightly sad look in Daryl's eyes.

"This is a good picture, Harley seems really happy here." Beth commented. Daryl made a sound that Beth didn't know if he was agreeing or not. "Anyways, thank you again for finding Harley. I know she can take care of herself and all but I don't want her letting anyone down. I should be going, I have to get going."

Beth said her goodbyes and went back to her apartment. She had plenty of time so she took a shower and dried her hair to get it out of the way then put her dress on. Harley had convinced Beth to get it and when Beth put the dress on, she could see why. It was a high waist dress with a button up collar, it was a little shorter than what Beth would normally choose yet seeing the pale pink color and the black bow that went around her waist for the belt, she loved it and how it looked on her. Deciding to leave her hair down, Beth put on some light make up. She grabbed her purse and slid on a pair of heels. Beth made her way down to her car and then to the restaurant where the engagement party was being held.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Maggie exclaimed as her sister entered the dining area set up specifically for the party. "Nothing seems to be going right, Shawn just texted and said he'll be late. Glenn's not here yet either, the servers told me that one of the appetizers I wanted isn't available because of some mix up with deliveries and I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a panic attack!"

Beth placed her hands on her older sister's shoulders, making sure Maggie was focusing on Beth. Maggie seemed to calm down a little bit more but Beth could still see that the young brunette was worried.

"Mags, I need you to calm down. Get a drink, then call Glenn and see where the hell he is. When Shawn gets here you can yell at him all you want but right now it's not a big deal. I'll go and take care of the appetizers." Beth could see Maggie start to breathe again.

Beth went over to one of the waiters and asked to see the manager. After sorting everything out Beth checked on her sister, seeing Maggie typing away furiously on her cell, she then decided to make sure everything else was okay. It wasn't long before people started showing up, family was the first to arrive. Beth and Maggie each greeted them warmly. Friends started arriving soon after but Beth had yet to see Harley or Daryl. As the young blonde was about to get her cell from her purse to see if Harley would actually answer Beth heard one of her cousin's ask who the handsome rugged looking man was and if the young woman with him was his sister. With how they were describing the two Beth was certain it was Daryl and Harley. She walked towards the entrance to see the siblings' mid-argument.

"Harley, I'm really glad you could make it." Beth interrupted the two. She knew Maggie would have her head and Harley's if anything were to happen that would make it seem like this night was anything but perfect to the bride-to-be. Beth was also happy to see her best friend.

Harley's hair was down for once instead of its usual messy bun, she wore the blue skater dress that she found when she and Beth went shopping but Harley added white lace details to the hem and sleeves of the dress. Beth let out a snort when she saw that Harley was wearing combat boots. Though the young blonde couldn't help but be slightly jealous of her best friend. Her make-up was done effortlessly, smoky-eyes with a dramatic cat eyeliner that made her blue eyes stand out against her tan skin and the perfect shade of lipstick. Beth always wished she could look as beautiful as Harley. Beth was always told how cute she was or pretty, she knew that she looked young and people always told her to be grateful but when looking at Harley, Beth sometimes wished she could have some of that beauty.

"Sorry I disappeared Bethy." Harley pulled Beth into a hug. "I managed to convince Daryl to stay for a while though, if that's okay."

Beth looked over at Daryl in surprise. He shrugged, his eyes looking around the room as if looking for all the exits. She looked at what he was wearing. Instead of wearing his usual plaid shirt, ink stained jeans, and leather vest, Daryl wore a dark pair of slacks and a nice button up shirt.

"No it's completely fine." Beth smiled. "He's the one who dragged you back here after all."

"I'm gonna go say hi to Glenn." Harley walked off without another word. Beth shook her head, smiling at Harley.

"I never know what to do with that girl." Daryl said quietly. Beth was surprised to hear Daryl speak but then again after hearing Harley talk about her brother the young blonde always knew they were close.

"I agree." Beth said as she saw Daryl crack a small smile. "Come one, let's go get a drink."

Both seemed to have been designated drivers for the night so the two got Coke's to drink. Beth led Daryl over to one of the quieter tables, away from all the madness. She could tell that the man relaxed a little as it got less hectic. He didn't seem as mean or grumpy this time.

"So, you understand how much of a handful Harley can get." Daryl said quietly, he had a slight smirk.

"Yeah, it can get pretty interesting with her around." Beth laughed thinking about all the interesting things Harley's done. "She got so pissed at our landlord once so she spray painted her walls with bright neon colors. I had to threaten her to keep her from going in my room."

Daryl couldn't help but laugh, it was something his sister would do. Beth laughed along with him.

"One time Harley was messing around with a lighter and other stuff she shouldn't have been." Daryl started off the story, it was one of the funniest and by the look in Beth's eyes he knew he had her full attention. "Merle just got home from his job, one of the only times he had one, and caught her off guard. He yelled at her, managed to scare the hell out of her and Harley caught almost everything on fire. Merle tried to put the whole thing out but I don't know how either one managed it but Merle's ass caught on fire, so did some of his hair!"

Beth busted out laughing, Daryl joining in. Beth hadn't met the two sibling's older brother but from all the stories about him she knew that he was someone interesting. Harley was a mixture of both her brothers, Beth knew that for sure. Daryl suddenly went quiet, a thoughtful look on his face. Beth looked at him, her head tilted and her eyes filled with questions. Daryl looked down at his drink.

"Harley always looks up to me." Daryl was quiet. Beth wondered why the sudden change of atmosphere but she felt that maybe it was needed. "She always says she wants to be just like me and our parents yet when she goes pulls shit like this I can't help but yell at her and tell her that she's acting just like Merle."

"How so?" Beth prompted him to go on after he fell silent for a few moments.

"Merle left as soon as he could. He comes and goes as he pleases, he'll be in your life for a few days then gone all of a sudden and you never know when he'll show up again." As Daryl spoke Beth knew he was being vague but she also knew that he must be getting things off his chest so she continued to let him speak without interrupting. "Harley's around a lot more, yeah but she also pulls stupid stunts like this where she'll disappear and you never know when she'll turn up again."

"I understand how frustrating that can be. I've lived with her for five, almost six, years now." Beth explained. "I get worried whenever she doesn't come home or when Harley doesn't answer her phone. Maybe this is her way of dealing with things or this is just her being Harley. I've never talked to her about it and it's obvious you never have either but maybe it's time to. If it bothers you this much then you should say something. She's your sister, she'll understand."

Daryl nodded, his eyes far off but she knew he had listened to what she said. Beth leaned back and continued to drink from her Coke, looking around at the party. She knew that soon she'd have to go and mingle with the guests but for now she was content to sit with the rugged and handsome man.

**So tell me what you think! I love hearing from you lovely people! **


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